A muggy close to July and start to August for the Maritimes

High humidex values in the Maritimes Monday Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell says humidex values are on the higher side in the Maritimes Monday, making it feel around 30 C for many areas.

On the muggy side

A southerly flow of wind will keep warm, humid air moving up the eastern United States seaboard and into the Maritimes this week.

That wind is being reinforced by the Bermuda High to our east and a number of low-pressure systems that are expected to pass just to our west this week. The Bermuda High is a semi-permanent area of high pressure present over the Atlantic.

The strength of the high and how it interacts with other weather systems on a weekly basis can heavily influence our weather here in the Maritimes.

Dew point temperatures through Thursday can be expected to range from 17 to 21 C. While comfort in heat and humidity varies from person-to-person, that is a level that some start to find uncomfortable. This is especially the case as the higher level of humidity keeps the nights on the warmer, stuffy side.

Daytime humidex values for many communities will make it “feel” well into the 30s. Heat warnings were issued for eastern areas of New Brunswick on Monday.

A fall in the general level of humidity looks possible Friday into Saturday and then again Sunday into Monday.

August predictions

Seasonal forecasts from both Environment Canada and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States continue to show a strong signal that temperatures for the month of August can expect to finish above average for the Maritimes.

There is less consensus on precipitation for the month. The same outlooks with about equal probabilities for above, near, or below average amounts of precipitation for August.

In general, August is the second hottest month in the Maritimes, just narrowly behind July. On average, it is one of the driest months for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, about middle of the pack for Prince Edward Island.

That based on 30-year averages from 1991 to 2020.

Tropical Atlantic waking up

Following the record setting Hurricane Beryl and the short lived Tropical Storm Chris, it has been a quiet couple of weeks in the tropical Atlantic.

Currently an area of thunderstorms in the central Atlantic is being monitored and given a 50 per cent chance of developing into a tropical system within the next seven days.

At the time of that possible development, the system would be in the vicinity of the Greater Antilles and Bahamas. Those areas being advised to monitor the progress of the system by the National Hurricane Center of the US.